Nevada to review gaming regulations

By Harrison Sayers

The Nevada Gaming Control Board has agreed on the recommended approval to several regulations to be reviewed during its Gaming Commission meeting on April 19.

The recommendations of proposed amendments to the Nevada Gaming Commission Regulation covers new disciplinary action for players under the influence of alcohol or drugs, an update to the definition of the term “payout”, information collection and retention as well as obligations related to suspicious transactions. There are also proposals to amend aspects of regulations concerning horse racing.

If approved by the Gaming Commission, the new proposed regulations regarding patrons who are under the influence of either drugs or alcohol will be introduced. This will make it illegal for punters to be offered more alcohol that might further impede them. This update to regulations is also intended to deal with the effects of the legalisation of recreational cannabis in the state and better protect gamblers from loses when intoxicated.

The updating of the definition of the term “payout” along with the introduction of new requirements to wagers and payouts over $10,000 and the information a licensee is required to obtain for them. These changes aim to better protect players and licensees from fraud as they will come into effect alongside an an update to ‘suspicious wager reports to include suspicious transactions’.

Horse racing will also have its provisions concerning the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs reviewed as well as the coupling of race entries, a practice which sees horse from the same stables listed as such on race cards and a new definition for the term “day”. The focus with these amendments is to create more transparency for gamblers and better welfare for the horses

None of the recommendations for approval received any resistance from the state’s Gaming Control Board. Therefore it is likely that these changes will come into effect after the Nevada Gaming Commissions meeting on April 19.